


I will always be (the one that took your place)

by samstoleaburger



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Gen, I Don't Even Know, I Guess...?, POV Chuck Hansen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 05:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17277548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samstoleaburger/pseuds/samstoleaburger
Summary: He got in their space without a second thought and shouted, "You're going to get us all killed!"





	I will always be (the one that took your place)

**Author's Note:**

> So I started this back in 2017 after watching Pacific Rim but...I could never really get past the point where the fic ends.

The incident with Gipsy nearly destroying the Shatterdome and almost killing any and all within the Plasma Canon's vicinty was nothing short of disappointing. Chuck had turned to watch as Gispy went into a forced shutdown once Tendo pulled the plug. He could hear Herc's resigned sigh alongside Tendo working on getting tech to head in to disconnect Raleigh and Mako. Pentecost, however, had waves of disapproval rolling off his shoulders as Tendo informed him on what happened while he was gone.  
  
Which then lead to Chuck and Herc getting into a shouting match in Pentecost's office. It was all Raleigh's fault, that much he knew, but he was seeing red at this point. There was no way he was having them watch their back as they dropped the bomb. Not with how easily Raleigh came out of alignment and how it resulted in Mako near blowing the whole Shatterdome to pieces.  
  
"Stay here." was all his father said before he shut the door in his face.  
  
In hindsight, it probably hadn't been the best idea to leave Chuck alone with Raleigh and Mako in the hall. Then again, Chuck could have just not looked in their direction and let himself get riled up again. How Raleigh's neutral expression set fire to his once tampered temper and how Chuck knew what was going to Mako the second they set foot in the room.  
  
Mako deserved better than some washed up has-been. He'd been so proud when he saw their spar in the kwoon and had seen the slightest shift in Pentecost's expression before he'd dismissed everyone. Chuck had been pleased when Raleigh had said, "She's my co-pilot," like it was the most natural thing in the world.  
  
She deserved it.  
  
Now, however, furious didn't even begin to cover it. Livid was a near thing but it wasn't good enough to sum up how Chuck felt. In short: he was pissed.  
  
He got in their space without a second thought and shouted, "You're going to get us all killed!"  
  
The slight tick of Raleigh's jaw hasn't escaped his notice and Chuck just pushed until he got a nasty right hook.  
  
Though, once again, in hindsight, Chuck probably shouldn't have looked at Mako when he said 'bitch.'  
  
Chalk one up for the has-been.

* * *

Chuck sat on his bunk with Max lounging at his hip as he flipped through the news on his phone. Of course there wasn't anything relatively exciting aside from the public outcry that happened in the states over the Jeager program being cut. Bless these people for seeing sense in fighting with something that actually had a chance of winning instead of the garbage the UN was feeding them.  
  
He huffed as he slumped back, reaching a hand out to scratch behind Max's ears once he made a noise of protest to the shift. "I'm telling you, Max, those politicians don't know shit about how to fight a war."  
  
Didn't know that their idea was a load of Kaiju shit compared to fighting in a Jeager. Probably couldn't comprehend just how much blood, sweat and tears went into what the pilots do every time they go out to fight. He'd seen Herc's view on the last video conference with the UN and knew that if they didn't succeed in this then they along with the rest of the world was fucked.  
  
Truly and royally fucked.  
  
Chuck turned his focus to Max once he heard a distinct rumbling snort. Max peered up at him with a flat look like he understood Chuck's frustration completely. Like he agreed that politicians were sacks of shit who just sat behind a desk while good men died trying to save millions of people. Almost as if Max was saying, "Ungrateful bastards," but Chuck knew he was projecting his own feelings on that matter.  
  
He looked back at his phone as he shifted to scratch under Max's chin. "Wish you could've seen it. They did such a great job drifting 'til Raleigh ruined everything." Chuck scoffed as he tapped his thumb on the back button until he reached the homescreen. "Mako got grounded because of him."  
  
Granted she'd been the one to chase the RABIT but that was neither here nor there.  
  
"He should've been shipped right back where he came from." Chuck tossed his phone onto the mattress as a knock sounded from the door. Max stood and hopped off the bed with a bark. He followed Max in his short trek to the door but at a slower pace. Pulling it open, Chuck steeled his features once he saw Herc standing on the other side with a patented scowl on his face. "Your face is going to get stuck like that if you keep that up."  
  
"You almost got grounded so I would watch what you say."  
  
Chuck grit his teeth and dropped his gaze to Max as he barked, his whole body shaking with the force of it. Herc bent down to pat Max's head with a thoughtful look before he pursed his lips.  
  
"Mako wouldn't tell me what you said to start the fight," he started.  
  
Chuck grunted. "Let me guess, her boyfriend told you."  
  
"No, actually. I think he's got bigger fish to fry." Herc held a hand out and Chuck reached out to grab Max's leash to hand over out of habit. "That being said, I don't know what you said and I don't care." He shot Chuck a look as he hooked the leash to Max's collar. "But Mako looked very upset at dinner."  
  
"I know what you're doing, old man, and it ain't going to work."  
  
"Right." Herc stood as he wound the leash around his wrist and simply rose his brow before he left with Max trotting at his side.  
  
Chuck stood in his doorway and crossed his arms as he leaned his shoulder against the door. He furrowed his brows and cast a glance in the direction of Mako's room with an annoyed grumble. He knew why Herc decided to take Max for a walk after laying that bit of information on Chuck. He _knew_ what he was playing at but that didn't mean it didn't work once it got into his head.  
  
With a frustrated sigh, he pushed away from the door to step outside as he shut it.  
  
May as well get it over with.

* * *

Staring down a category IV Kaiju with a flare gun hadn't been the brightest idea his father ever had but Chuck knew it was either that or the populace of Hong Kong suffering irrepairable damage. That didn't mean he wasn't scared or that his heart didn't damn near jump out of his chest when the Kaiju started to retaliate. Though he'd been more focused on, _Dad's hurt,_ and, _If we get knocked off Striker, we're dead._  
  
He almost felt like he could believe in a higher power when the damn near impossible happened and Gipsy Danger dropped to then kill the two Kaiju that came from the Breach. Chuck knew he was grateful for it. Immensely. He didn't know what he would've done if Pentecost hadn't retracted his order and let Gipsy deploy.  
  
Most likely they'd be laying in pieces at the bottom of the ocean and Pentecost would have needed to find new pilots for Striker.  
  
That being said...  
  
"So you can apologize."  
  
Chuck ground his teeth as he piled food on a second tray for Herc, having told him to sit down with Max while he went to get their dinner. "Go away, _Ra_ leigh." He grabbed an apple and set it on Herc's tray as he snatched up an orange for his own. "Don't you have another wall to build?"  
  
"I'm just saying."  
  
Raleigh looked downright smug and Chuck had the urge to punch him in the face. Maybe this time he'd focus on breaking Raleigh's nose as payback for his own.  
  
He reigned his temper in once he realized he'd been squeezing the life out of the orange and set it down with a scowl. "Yeah? If that's the case then you should know you aren't getting one." Chuck grabbed both trays and stepped away from the line as he turned to storm down the stairs.  
  
He could have sworn he heard Raleigh call, "I didn't ask for one," after him and Chuck wondered, briefly, just how much trouble he'd get in if he dumped food on Raleigh.  
  
Surely it wouldn't end up with him being grounded. Even if that meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things since Herc couldn't suit up and Chuck wasn't willing to pilot with some newbie. However, with one look at Herc and seeing the grimace on his face made Chuck's choice for him.  
  
He continued on toward their table and kept his back to Raleigh.  
  
If anyone asked, Chuck counted it as a personal win.

* * *

Max huffed as Chuck hauled him up off the floor and into his arms instead of simply letting Max sit beside him. He held Max as he took in a deep, stabilizing breath and he closed his eyes. Chuck pressed his face into Max's fur as he rose a hand to knead the back of Max's neck once he whined. Obviously sensing how distressed Chuck was over knowing deployment was only an hour away.  
  
Humanity's fate resting on a gamble with Pitfall. One huge gamble that was do or die.  
  
Pentecost had informed them prior to about the 'triple event' as Hermann predicted and how it might open the Breach enough to send the bomb down. While glad to know their odds, Chuck knew that they were going to have more trouble getting to the Breach when they were down to only two Jeagers. It was a suicide mission, through and through.  
  
He couldn't help but remember what he'd said when he snapped at Raleigh and Mako in the hallway. _I want to make it back from this mission._  
  
Chuck thought of what he's done up until now, wondered how many lives he's actually managed to save, how he knew that he really shouldn't have been this bitter for so long. That it was the worst possible time to realize all the things he's missed out on. Like how he and Herc could have reformed their relationship before it came time to drop the bomb. Talk it out. Make it water under the bridge.  
  
 _I quite like my life._  
  
A broken laugh fell from his lips as he tightened his hold on Max. So this is what it feels like to resign yourself to your fate. In all honesty, he hated it and wanted to vomit.  
  
"You take care of the old man, all right?"  
  
Later, when he's in the lift with Pentecost after his dad choked out, "That's my son you got there. My son.", Chuck's suddenly wishing he'd done more than tell Herc he knew what he was trying to say. To let Herc knew he understood, forgave and loved him as only family could. That he hoped he would make it back and that they could stop the war clock while restarting their own.  
  
He also wished Herc and Max hadn't looked seconds from pulling him back because it only made Chuck want to _stay_.


End file.
